Leaders Announce New Regional Grain Facility

At the conclusion of the Meade County Fiscal Court meeting Tuesday (1/11) local leaders made a major announcement confirming previous pledges to local farmers.

The Meade County Fiscal Court and Harrison County, Indiana in partnership with the Harrison County Economic Development Corporation and Meade County/Brandenburg Industrial Authority are partnering to develop a multi- million dollar regional grain elevator facility for the acceptance of wheat, soybeans, and corn from local farmers. The facility is expected to save farmers in the region truck freight costs and time by delivering grain to a facility closer to home.

The parties have identified a potential site are currently in exclusive discussions with Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, a third party operator, to potentially oversee the grain elevator. The parties are entering into the design phase of the process and hope to obtain the necessary permits and begin construction of the facility in 2022.

Judge Executive Stith said this is a unique multi-state, multi-county partnership and the first of it’s kind for a grain facility. David Pace, Chairman of the Industrial Authority, said that the site is the second site out of six potential sites to accommodate the facility. The first site of choice was out of the group’s budget. Although the exact location of the site has not been announced due to ongoing negotiations, officials are certain that it will be a covenant location for all of the crop producers in the region.

After a fifteen minute closed session, magistrates returned to public session with an announcement. Meade County Judge Executive Leslie Stith congratulated the efforts of all of the magistrates, the local farming community and David Pace on the tireless efforts over the past two and half years to be able to make a public announcement.

The announcement confirms a pledge and commitment made to the local farming community during a packed meeting of Meade County Fiscal Court in the fall of 2019 regarding finding a replacement grain elevator after the Consolidated Grain & Barge Riverport terminal was decommissioned due to the Nucor Steel project. At that meeting, magistrates and the late Judge Executive Gerry Lynn promised that a replacement facility would be sought to fill the local need. At the time, local farmers attempted to fight the closure of the Riverport facility but failed due to the land the facility was on had been purchased by Nucor Steel.

Local leaders Tuesday night expressed that a lot more work is ahead for the project as permitting with the Army Corp of Engineers have already begun and other on going negotiations have to be completed to get to the construction phase. Leaders promise more updates as the process continues.